Happy
by Wren Gebel
Summary: Draco Malfoy had never been able to produce a patronus. He was full with too many unhappy memories. But that's not fair. Despite his history and what he was forced to go through, he deserved something to make him happy enough to produce a patronus. Could that something be Hermione? ONE SHOT


**Happy**

Draco Malfoy had never been able to produce a patronus. He was full with too many unhappy memories. But that's not fair. Despite his history and what he was forced to go through, he deserved something to make him happy enough to produce a patronus.

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><p>"I can't-" his words broke off. The practicing was draining him, and still nothing was being accomplished. He'd almost fallen over after attempting the last one. His legs were shaking, his breathing heavy, his jaw clenched. So far, he'd held strong for her. He'd kept trying after the first and the second, but after about is tenth attempt, it was clear to him that it would never happen.<p>

"Yes, Draco, you can," she was standing to his left and slightly behind him. Why did she have to have so much faith in him? Why did she have to believe he could always be better? Why couldn't she realize that he would never be good enough?

He turned his icy grey eyes to meet her soft brown ones over his shoulder. She was watching him closely with hope on her small face and encouragement on her lips. How could he say no to her? How could he prove her wrong? She was always right. Bloody Granger was always right.

His head dropped to look down at the wood floor. Albino locks fell down into his face and he quickly swiped them back with his sweaty hand. With his other hand, he raised his wand above his head and grit his teeth.

_Do it for her,_ he thought. _Be strong for her._

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted through his teeth.

Another wave of energy rushed through his body and out is wand hand into a sad little wisp of light that hung in the air like a smoke cloud and then dissipated.

He sighed and shook his head.

"It's no use, Hermione."

She was suddenly in front of him. Her small hands held his cheeks between her palms. He felt like a failure, unworthy to look in her eyes, but she moved her face closer to his until he had no choice. Her eyes like brown orbs in front of him searched his face.

"Listen to me," she said sternly. "You _can_ do this. Don't think about your past. Don't think about what they made you do or the things you needed to do. Don't think about your father or Voldemort or the Deatheaters."

He cringed at the Dark Lord's name. He'd been gone for two years yet it still made Draco wince to hear it. Those had been dark times for everyone, especially Draco. He'd become a failure to everyone. Himself, his father, his mother, the Dark Lord, her.

"Don't think about them okay?" she begged. Her hands were so warm and gentle on his face. He wondered how she could bear to touch him. "Don't think about anyone now."

After the war, he'd refused to follow the other Deatheaters into hiding. The light had won. He could run away from his old life. He could leave behind everything he never wanted to be. So that's what he did. He ran from his father and his mother to seek help from the Ministry. But that didn't matter. No matter how hard he tried to show the wizarding world that he never meant to be who he was, they still only saw him as Deatheater scum. People turned their faces from him, spat at him when he walked down the street, turned him away at jobs as soon as they found out who he was. He was the thing parents warned their children against. The thing people refused service to at restaurants and stores. Everyone, even his old friends, left him. Except for one person. One person who still believed he could be better. One person who didn't care about what people said. Her.

She pulled his forehead down onto her's and he shut his eyes at her touch, the feeling of her skin on his. "Just think about us. Think about what we have."

Her lips brushed against his. He came forward to meet her. Every touch was like electricity. Every time she bit his lip or his tongue met her's it was like a rush of energy. He breathed in her breath and caressed her lips with his tongue. His lips clung to her. He was afraid to let her go. He grabbed her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it gently, pulling a soft moan from the back of her throat.

He felt strong. At some point, his legs stopped shaking and he stood strong, kissing Hermione Granger.

She pulled away from him, her lip sliding out from between his teeth. "Think about that," she breathed.

He sucked in the last of her breath as she moved away, back to her original position.

He gripped his wand tighter and planted his feet firmly. His wand raised above his head and he closed his eyes to better concentrate.

_Her touch._

_Her look._

_The way she makes me feel._

"Expecto Patronum!"

He kept his eyes shut. He couldn't bear to look. She gasped behind him and then felt her weight knock into his side as she ran to him and hugged him tight. He stumbled and opened his eyes just in time to see a smoky oblong animal scurry into the sky and disappear in a cloud of mist.

His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He put his arm around her back and held her next to him. He'd done it! It had only been for a moment but he had created a-

"It's a ferret," he said in slight disappointment.

Hermione looked up at him. There were tears of joy in her eyes and maybe something else. "No, Draco! Cast it again!" she was smiling widely.

He frowned but raised his wand again.

_The way she makes me feel._

_The way she makes me feel._

_The way I-. The way I _love _her._

_"_Expecto Patronum!"

This time, he kept his eyes open. A beautiful white mist poured out the end of his wand and hung in the air. Quickly, if formed a solid shape. Again, he saw an oblong creature that he was sure could only be a ferret. Barty Crouch Jr. had cursed him with that stupid transfiguration punishment he'd given him in fourth year.

He looked over at Hermione. She was watching his patronus with interest. The light from the animal was reflecting in her eyes and filling them with wonder.

Draco looked back at the patronus and squinted. What was she seeing that he couldn't?

The ferret bobbed and snaked around in the air above their heads with grace.

"Draco," Hermione said, holding tight to his arm.

He looked down at her as she pulled out her own wand and pointed it into the air. From the tip came a silvery shadow like had come from his. The smoke twisted and formed into her patronus that scampered up next to his. They were both-

"Otters," he said with wonder. His voice was breathless.

The two otters in the air somersaulted and twirled around each other.

"They're both otters," he repeated just as breathlessly.

He felt her nod against his arm. He looked away from the display the patronuses were putting on and down at her, feeling his heart swell with love. His fingers slid under her chin and lifted her face toward him.

His head bent over and his lips filled hers. Her fingers snaked around the back of his neck and curled around the base of his hair making him shiver. He nipped her lip and slid his tongue into her mouth when she sucked in his breath. His other arm pulled her into him from around her waist. They pressed against each other, unable to get close enough.

Their patronuses swirled around their heads, faster and faster until the two otters just became a blur of blue and white light. Then they suddenly stopped, becoming a ring of smoke around the pair's heads.

Draco and Hermione broke apart and gasped for breath. He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes.

"Thank you," he mumbled. "For helping me. I didn't think I'd ever be able to."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his torso and held him in a hug.

She'd done it. She had finally rid him of his nightmares about is past and made him happy enough to produce a patronus. People may still glare at him when he walks down the street and shake their heads at her when she grabs a hold of his hand, but she didn't care and she didn't think he did anymore either.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello! If you're one of my previous readers, I'm sorry. I should be working on _Stay,_ but I had this little scenario pop in my head where Hermione is teaching Draco to produce a patronus and I just had to get it out.**

**So I don't know where I heard it, but I'm pretty sure it's cannon that Draco never was or is able to produce a patronus and that makes me really sad. He was never happy enough. Poor Draco! D: So I decided to make Hermione make him happy enough.**

**Anyway, please review! I love them!**

**With love,**

**Wren Gebel **


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